Silentstrike's Story
by WildheartTheWarrior
Summary: "I am who I am. An outcast, traitor, murderer...misunderstood." This is the story of a cat who hated and was hated, who betrayed and was betrayed, who was left unwanted and unloved by all...save one. This is the story...of Silentstrike. A collab with Huntress of Sacred Dreams.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I know we don't know much about Silentstrike yet, but I think he deserves a story of his own!**

**Just so you know, this story is going to be a collaboration with Huntress of Sacred Dreams.**

* * *

I_ never thought I would die this way._

_Bleeding my life out on the ground, wallowing in humiliation as the cats I once knew crowd around me, their gazes filled with disgust and hatred as they stare down at the one who has betrayed them all._

_I'm going to the Dark Forest. I know it. After everything I've done, it's inevitable._

_My eyes flit desperately about the fading clearing around me. I want to remember as much of this world's beauty and light as I can before I'm cast away into eternal darkness._

_I can hear _his_ voice—though I can't see him—and I'm unable to stop the surge of cold anger that rushes through me. I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being. And yet it was he who finally put an end to me. It was him who finally stopped the bloodshed by taking my life, not the one I loathe above all others._

_Now I can see Birdstar himself. He's weak still. His amber eyes used to make me cower when I was young. But now they are dull and hollow. They reflect an empty shell._

_Somehow, I can no longer conjure up and hate for him. It's as if my anger towards him has been spent in this battle._

_I can feel my life draining away faster now. Birdstar's battered form is blurring before my eyes._

_Yet before I can give up my life, another cat pushes her way through the crowd. Her brown tabby fur is soft and silky, and her eyes are the most beautiful blue, the color of a clear green-leaf sky._

_My heart twists with anguish. This is the she-cat I want most to express myself to. I want to pour out my heart to her, to apologize for every crime I've commited against her Clan. Yet my voice will not respond. It was taken away from me by the claws that struck me down._

_Her eyes—those beautiful, beautiful eyes—meet mine. She alone shows no disgust for me. Instead, her gaze is filled with sorrow as I slip away._

_Darkness encroaches on my vision. My heartbeat begins to slow._

_And as I lie here dying on the forest floor, I wish my life had turned out differently. Maybe, if my Clanmates had treated me with respect, I wouldn't be here right now. I might have actually had a chance to be great. Maybe…I could have been more than this._

_But it's too late now. My life has been spent._

_My eyes slide shut._

_StarClan…please forgive me…_

_And my heartbeat stops entirely._


	2. Cricketkit

**Hullo! Huntress here! But you guys can just call me Hunter :)**

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! I personally love Silentstrike. He's so adorable. Yush. I am a Silentstrike fangirl! Haha!

Read on guys!

* * *

Sunlight streamed into the nursery, spiralling over a small, sleeping gray form. Beside the tiny bundle of fur lay a pale silver she-cat, her white paws tucked delicately under her stomach. Her pale blue eyes watched her kit with a fierce love. She purred as her kit turned over in his sleep, opening his tiny pink jaws in a wide yawn.

"Good morning, little Cricketkit," she whispered, nuzzling his ear.

Cricketkit blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the bright world around him. "Morning, Mother," he replied. His eyes shifted to another nest that smelled of a queen and her milk. "Where are the others?"

His mother was about to answer when a fuzzy gray head poked into the den. "Minnowleap!" it cried. "You said you'd send Cricketkit out when he woke up!" Minnowleap twitched her whiskers in amusement.

"He only just woke up, Hailkit. Surely the others aren't bored already?" she teased.

Hailkit screwed up his nose. "Of course not! But Cricketkit always was the best at Leaders!" Cricketkit flicked his tail in annoyance.

"I am sitting right here. You know that right?" he huffed.

"Of course I know you're there, mouse brain. Come on! Lark-kit and Jaggedkit have been complaining for ages!" Hailkit mewed tapping Cricketkit's shoulder with his paw.

Cricketkit looked up at Minnowleap, "Can I go play, Mother?"

Minnowleap smiled down at her son. "Of course you can. Just be careful and make sure you don-" The silver queen stopped when she realised that she was talking to thin air. Her son had already bounded out of the nursery to play. _Such a lively kit,_ she mused. _He will make a great warrior someday._

Cricketkit followed Hailkit out to where Lark-kit and Jaggedkit were waiting impatiently. Jaggedkit spotted them first and groaned. "Finally! You're awake!"

"You should've woken me up if you wanted to play!" Cricketkit retorted. He didn't really like Jaggedkit. The dark gray tom was always grumpy and no fun to play with.

Lark-kit smiled kindly at him. "We wanted to but Minnowleap wouldn't let us. She said that kits need their sleep and that playing can wait," she explained.

_Lark-kit on the other paw,_ he thought to himself, _is much kinder than Jaggedkit. It's hard to imagine that they are siblings._

"Are we ever going to play?" Jaggedkit moaned.

Hailkit purred and flicked him with his tail. "Yep! I'll be...Hailstar, mighty leader of ThunderClan!"

"ThunderClan!?" Lark-kit scoffed. "That's a silly Clan to pick, Hailkit! Anyway, I'll be...Larkstar of RiverClan!"

Jaggedkit cuffed his sister over the head. "RiverClan? Seriously? I'd rather be Jaggedstar of ShadowClan!" Cricket wrinkled his nose and glared at the gray kit. He wanted to be leader of ShadowClan. It was his Clan after all. But he was left with stupid WindClan.

"I guess I'll be Cricketstar of WindClan," he huffed. Jaggedkit twitched his whiskers in amusement, a mocking smile curling at the edges of his muzzle.

"You suit WindClan. You're scrawny, thin, weak. Just like all WindClan cats are!" the dark gray kit teased. Cricketkit glared at him but made no move to attack him. He would lose anyway.

Instead he turned to Hailkit, "We going to start now?"

Hailkit nodded and smiled. "Rules! You can't go into any of the dens. If you are pinned to the ground longer than 5 heartbeats then you have lost a life. We all start with nine lives. No cheating. No scratching or biting! Okay, now go to separate corners of the camp and we'll start on my call!"

The kits moved away from each other, settling into four different corners. Cricketkit pushed himself so far back into the corner that the thick gorse was digging into his fur. He would wait until the others were preoccupied before launching his own attack. He smiled to himself as he realised how smart his plan was. Hailkit's cry rang out across the camp and all the kits, apart from Cricketkit, pelted towards each other.

Jaggedkit and Hailkit collided, batting at each other with their small paws. Lark-kit leaped onto her brother's shoulders, holding on tight as Jaggedkit tried to throw her off. Hailkit grinned at Lark-kit before helping to hold Jaggedkit down. "You lost a life, Jaggedstar," Hailkit taunted.

Cricketkit saw his chance and dashed across the camp, leaping over Lark-kit and bowling Hailkit over. They rolled around the camp, cuffing each other hard. Cricketkit tried to wriggle his way out of Hailkit's grip but the white-flecked tom held fast. "You'd think," Hailkit gasped in between breaths, "someone as thin as you would be easy to pin!"

Cricketkit grinned at Hailkit and hit him with his paw. "You'd think someone as fat as you would be easy to trick," he joked. Hailkit gasped in mock shock before trying to shove Cricketkit onto his side. Cricketkit noticed that Hailkit was balancing on three paw. _Silly!_ He head butted him in the chest and watched with amusement as Hailkit toppled over. "That was silly! You can't balance on three paws without falling over!" Cricketkit chortled as he pinned Hailkit to the ground.

"Maybe WindClan isn't that weak after all!" Hailkit panted as Cricketkit let him up.

"Of course WindClan is weak!" Jaggedkit hissed. His voice made Cricketkit jump.

Hailkit tipped his head to one side. "What makes you think WindClan's weak?"

"Father says they're weak. If he says so then it must be true!" Jaggedkit replied indignantly. "ShadowClan are the strongest Clan!"

"Each Clan is as strong as the other. Isn't it?" Cricketkit mewed looking over at Lark-kit.

The brown tabby she-kit nodded. "Cricketkit is right. WindClan may not seem the strongest but Mother has told us that they are the fastest."

Jaggedkit curled his lip and pounced on Cricketkit, pinning him to the ground. "No one said the game was over," he snarled. Cricketkit squeaked in shock and kicked at Jaggedkit with hit hind legs. They connected with Jaggedkit's stomach, sending him sprawling across the clearing with a loud humph. Cricketkit wasn't about to give up and pounded across the clearing on his short legs. He swiped at Jaggedkit and missed by a mouse hair. Jaggedkit tackled him and the two rolled around the camp, tussling violently until they bumped into a hard object.

"What are you two doing?" a loud voice boomed.

Cricketkit looked timidly up at the towering shape. "We were only playing, Birdstar," he squeaked.

Birdstar looked down at him, "Play time is over. Go back to the nursery." Jaggedkit looked like he was about to protest but was cut short by Birdstar. "Now!" The two kits scurried away from the leader, joining up with Hailkit and Lark-kit outside the nursery. They looked at each other with wide eyes before squeezing into the nursery.

Minnowleap looked up as the kits tumbled into the den. "Back already?" she murmured sleepily as Cricketkit settled down beside her.

"Birdstar sent us in," Cricketkit replied. He buried his head into Minnowleap's fur and sighed in relief. He felt safe when he was with his mother.

"Did you have fun?" Minnowleap asked the sleepy kit.

Cricketkit simply nodded and yawned, closing his eyes. Minnowleap smiled down at him and curled her tail around him. "Sleep tight little one. I'll be here when you wake up."

"I promise."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

Keep an eye out for the next update :3 Hunter Out~


	3. A Dangerous Expedition

**Wildheart here with the next chapter of Silentstrike's Story! Enjoy!**

* * *

Cricketkit fidgeted restlessly in his nest. He'd been playing another game of Leaders with Hailkit, Lark-kit and Jaggedkit—and he'd won this game, to his delight. But stupid Jaggedkit had shoved him into a tangle of thorns, and now he was stuck in the nursery for the rest of the day. He shifted again, only to let out a quiet yelp as the moss rubbed up against a sore spot.

"Are you all right?" Minnowleap bent over him, pale eyes wide with concern.

He squirmed. "I'm fine," he said, flipping onto his other side.

Minnowleap leaned down, sniffing at his side. "Are you sure, dear?"

Cricketkit nodded. "I'm okay," he said, resting his head on his paws.

The pale silver she-cat smiled. "All right," she purred. "You just get some rest, little one."

Cricketkit stared up at his mother. "Okay," he said. But as he rolled over onto his side, he couldn't suppress another squeak of pain.

Minnowleap sat up. "All right," she said concernedly. "I'm taking you to the medicine cat."

The dull silver tom-kit immediately opened his mouth to protest, but his mother had already lifted him into the air. He flinched as her teeth met in another sore spot, but couldn't protest as Minnowleap brought him into the den.

"Hazelwing?" she called as she set Cricketkit down. "Are you here?"

The brown tabby medicine cat looked up from her work, amber eyes curious. Then her gaze settled on Cricketkit and she sighed. "I suppose you want something for him?" she asked.

Minnowleap nodded. "His scratches have been bothering him," she said. Cricketkit opened his mouth to protest, but his mother hushed him.

Hazelwing sighed. "I can give him some dock for the scratches, but other than that there's not much I can do for him."

Minnowleap hesitated, but nodded. Hazelwing bent down to look at Cricketkit. "Come on, dear," she said. "I'll make you feel better, all right?"

Cricketkit slowly padded forward, wincing slightly. The medicine cat guided him towards her with her tail. Sitting him down, she dragged a few large, tangy-smelling leaves from the piles she'd kept.

"Here," she said. "This will make you feel better." She chewed up a few of the thick leaves, spitting out the pulp and holding out on her paw. "Now hold still," she said, holding it out on her paw.

Cricketkit stiffened as Hazelwing approached, but the moment the green paste was spread into his wounds, he couldn't surpress a sigh of relief. The dock juice was soaking into his scratches, soothing the throbbing almost instantly.

Minnowleap smiled. "Feel better?" she asked.

Cricketkit nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh," he said, bouncing on his paws.

The pale she-cat smiled, and Hazelwing chuckled. "I said hold still, Cricketkit!" she meowed, using one paw to keep the kit still.

"But I feel better now!" he chirped.

Minnowleap laughed, and Cricketkit looked back up at his mother. Her pale blue eyes were shining with amusement.

_Mother's eyes are pretty,_ he thought. His mother had always told him that his eyes looked just like hers…but he'd never seen his eyes, so he wouldn't know.

Minnowleap tipped her head, and Cricketkit realized he'd been staring. "Cricketkit," she said, still smiling gently. "Would you like to see something?"

The tom-kit tipped his head. Minnowleap flicked him with her tail, leading him farther into the medicine den to where a pool of water had collected in a dip in the sandy ground. "Look in there," Minnowleap told him.

Curious, Cricketkit padded forward, peering into the water. Down below him, a tiny, fluff-covered kit peered back up at him, with dull silver fur and pale blue eyes as clear as the leaf-bare frost.

_I have pretty eyes, too!_ he realized with wonder.

His mother padded up to stand next to him, smiling. "See?" she told him. "You _do_ have the same eyes as me!"

And she did—her eyes were the same light blue as Cricketkit's were. A spark of delight rose in Cricketkit's chest. It made him feel even happier, knowing that he shared yet another trait with his mother.

"All right, you two," Hazelwing said, padding back towards them. "Now don't let Jaggedkit push you into any more bushes, all right?"

Cricketkit squeezed free of Hazelwing, prancing back over to Minnowleap. But before he could speak, his mother lifted him into the air and bore him swiftly back into the nursry despite his protests. "None of that," she told him as he let out an annoyed whine. "You played quite enough earlier, and you ended up getting pushed into a thornbush." She sighed and shook her head. "Now it's time for your nap."

Cricketkit let out a loud sigh, but curled up obediently by his mother's side. Despite his best efforts, his eyes began to close the moment his fur met his mother's. Within a few moments, he had drifted away into the realm of sleep.

* * *

Cricketkit awoke to the sound of whispering. He lifted his head curiously, ears swiveling as he looked around to find the source of the sound. It was coming from outside the nursery wall—and there were three _very_ familiar voices.

"I think this is a bad idea," Lark-kit said matter-of-factly.

"Mouse-heart!" Jaggedkit sneered. "You're just too scared to sneak out!"

"I think Lark-kit is right," Hailkit added uncertainly. "What if we get caught?"

Cricketkit heard Jaggedkit snort. "_You_ can worry about that all you want," he said smugly. "But Lark-kit and I are the _leader's_ kits! And that practically means we can do whatever we want!"

"I don't know—"

"Come on, scaredy-tom!" Jaggedkit interrupted. "Silverwisp and Minnowleap are asleep, and so is stupid Cricketkit, so he can't tattle on us! And if we're really sneaky, we can go outside, explore, and come back so fast no one will no we're gone!"

Cricketkit bristled. So he was just a tattling scaredy-kit, was he? Not if he could help it. Stepping over Minnowleap's paw, he slipped out of the nursery and crept around the side to where the other three kits were plotting. "Planning on leaving me behind, were you?" he snapped.

Jaggedkit whipped around, amber eyes wide. "What are you doing up?" he growled.

"Next time you're planning to explore," Cricketkit shot back, "why don't you plan a little quieter?"

The dark gray tabby tom growled angrily, but Lark-kit shot him a look. "Why shouldn't be able to come?" she demanded. "He's got as much of a right to explore as the rest of us do."

Jaggedkit turned to reply, but Hailkit nodded his agreement. "Yeah," he said. "I think Cricketkit should come."

Jaggedkit rolled his eyes. "Fine, he can come," he sighed. He narrowed his eyes at Cricketkit. "Unless you're _scared."_

Cricketkit bared his teeth. "I'm not scared, Jaggedkit," he replied hotly.

"We'll see," Jaggedkit said, turning and flicking his tail as he led the other kits away. The big kit then paused by part of the camp wall. Careful not to stab himself on any thorns, he pried away a section of brambles to reveal a hole in the camp wall, just big enough for a kit to squeeze through.

Cricketkit couldn't help but be impressed. "It's small," he said thoughtfully. "We're going to have to go through one at a time."

Jaggedkit curled his lip. "Don't think I don't know that, mouse-brain," he hissed.

"He probably didn't," Lark-kit muttered to Cricketkit.

Her brother gave them a glare as they began to giggle, but wriggled beneath the thorns. Hailkit crawled after him, motioning to the other two. Lark-kit shot a backward glance at Cricketkit, then followed her brother and Hailkit.

Cricketkit took a deep breath, then crouched and pulled himself under the barrier. A stray thorn scraped an already-open scratch, and he yelped.

"Shh!" Lark-kit whispered.

Cricketkit finally crawled out into the open, and his eyes widened in shock. There, spread before them, was what seemed like the whole of the forest. The sun was beginning to set, bathing the trees in an eerie red light.

"Whoa!" he whispered. "It looks so cool!"

"I know," Lark-kit said to him, grinning at the forest around them.

"Yeah, yeah, it's so cool!" Jaggedkit rolled his eyes. "Let's go and explore already!"

As he began to pad off, Hailkit turned around. "Are you sure it's a good idea to split up?" the white-flecked kit questioned uncertainly. But Jaggedkit is already gone.

"He's a mouse-brain," Lark-kit sighed irritably. "If he gets eaten, it'll be his fault." The brown tabby she-kit sniffed and turned to Cricketkit and Hailkit. "C'mon," she meowed. "We might as well stick together."

"That way if we get eaten," Cricketkit chimed in, "we'll all get eaten together!"

His remark led to an outbreak of giggles among the three kits as they romped off in search of an adventure.

The kits bounced off into the woods, laughing and playing as they ran ever deeper into the forest. "Can't catch me!" Hailkit giggled, leaping over a tree root.

"Oh, yeah?" Lark-kit chased after him, tabby fur bushing out as she scrambled after the gray tom-kit.

Cricketkit smiled, then raced ahead. The forest rushed past him in a whirl of color as he pursued the other two. Lark-kit dashed in front of him, leaping through puddles of mud without a care. Finally, after a few more moments of running, the she-kit threw herself forward, nipping at Hailkit's hindquarters as she pinned him to the ground. "Gotcha!" she crowed triumphantly, placing one paw on either side of his body.

Cricketkit grinned. Crouching, he leaped forward, bowling into the other two kits. "Got you both," he laughed.

The three of them squealed with glee, pouncing on one another as they tussled together in a fluffy mass of flailing legs and tails.

Suddenly, a loud screech sounded from overhead. The kits sprang apart, eyes wide as they stared up at the trees. The sun had finally set without their notice, abruptly plunging the woods into darkness and shadow.

"What was that?" Lark-kit yelped, pressing into Cricketkit.

"I don't know," Cricketkit replied fearfully, crouching closer to the ground.

"Maybe we should go home," Hailkit whimpered, huddling into the others.

The ear-piercing shriek came again. This time, it was accompanied by a rushing sound. Before they knew what was happening, a shadow with wings had swooped right over their heads.

As the huge creature rushed past, terror flooded Cricketkit's mind. "Run!" he wailed, springing away into the forest. He was dimly aware of the sound of Lark-kit and Hailkit hard on his paws, yelping with fear as they raced back in the direction of camp.

None of them noticed the pair of malevolent yellow eyes that watched intently from a patch of withered bracken.

* * *

Cricketkit squirmed back through the hole in the thorns, his heart fluttering in his chest as he pulled himself blindly towards the safety of the nursery.

"That was close," Lark-kit squeaked as she crawled through behind him.

"Yeah," Hailkit added, blue eyes wide. "I don't think we should leave the camp anymore!"

Suddenly the realization hit Cricketkit—their exploration party was one short.

"Where's Jaggedkit?" he exclaimed.

"Jaggedkit," a new voice growled, "is right here."

The three of them looked up to see Birdstar's hulking figure standing over them, amber eyes dark. Behind him, a sour-looking Jaggedkit sulked in his father's shadow.

"Now," the ShadowClan leader growled. "Would any of you like to tell me what in _StarClan's name_ you were doing outside of camp?"


	4. Attack!

**AN: Hunter here with another chapter! Sorry its so late...I was busy. Enjoy.**

* * *

Cricketkit stared up at Birdstar with wide, scared eyes. "Well!?" Birdstar thundered.

"W-We went exploring, Father," Lark-kit stammered, stepping closer to her father. Birdstar glared down at her with his sharp amber eyes. "But we didn't get hurt," the she-kit added quickly.

A shred of the anger faded from Birdstar's eyes before it returned when he glanced at Cricketkit and Hailkit. "Whose idea was it to leave the camp?" the leader hissed.

Cricketkit opened his mouth to answer but Jaggedkit beat him to it. "Cricketkit convinced us to go," he said, blinking up at his father with innocent eyes. Cricketkit stared at Jaggedkit with wide eyes. _How dare he blame me! He was the one that convinced us to go!_

Birdstar turned on Cricketkit with an angry snarl. "So, Cricketkit. Tell me why you decided that it would be a good idea for four kits to sneak out of camp close to night fall?"

"No!" Lark-kit exclaimed. "It wasn't Cricketkit's idea! It was Jaggedkit's! We tried to stop him but he called us mouse-hearts. And then he ran off! Jaggedkit lied!"

Cricketkit stifled an amused purr as Jaggedkit stared at his sister with outrage before cowering closer to the ground when Birdstar looked down at him. "No son of mine lies!" Birdstar hissed through gritted teeth. It was obvious to Cricketkit that Birdstar was trying his best not to rake his claws down Jaggedkit's face. "Tell me the truth and your punishment will be less severe, Jaggedkit."

Jaggedkit looked crestfallen as he stared up at his father. "I-It was my idea," the kit finally admitted. He hung his head in shame, refusing to meet his father's enraged eyes.

Before Birdstar could say anymore his mate came rushing from the nursery, relief shining on her face. "Oh there you are!" she cried, scooping Lark-kit up in her paws and licking her head. "I was so worried! What where you two doing!?"

"All four of them decided it would be a good idea to sneak out of camp, Silverwhisp," Birdstar snarled. His eyes were still smouldering with anger as he glared down at the four small kits. "And now for your punishment."

"Jaggedkit decided it would be a good idea," Hailkit muttered mutinously but no one heard him.

Silverwhisp shook her head. "There is no need to punish them, Birdstar. I'm sure they have learnt their lesson by now. And besides, how many times did you sneak out of camp when you were young?"

Birdstar stared at Silverwhisp for a few moments and Cricketkit was afraid that he would lash out at her. But his eyes softened slightly. "Fine. But if I catch them outside the camp again…" He left without finishing his sentence, leaving an air of fear over the kits.

"Now," Silverwhisp began, "Hailkit go and find your mother. I am sure she is frantic by now. Cricketkit, do the same. Minnowleap was beside herself with worry that her only kit had been eaten by an owl."

The two toms nodded and padded away. Hailkit mouthed goodbye to Cricketkit before slipping into the nursery. Cricketkit suddenly felt the ground disappear under his paws as strong jaws closed around his neck. He struggled for a few moments before going limp. The scent of his mother filled his nose and he relaxed slightly, glad to be back in the safety of camp. Minnowleap put her son down and looked at him with relieved eyes.

"Do you know how much worry you put me through, Crickekit?" she sighed. "I was certain that you had been killed."

Cricketkit blinked up at her with his pale eyes before burying his muzzle into her fur. "I'm sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to make you scared. I only wanted to have some fun!"

"I know," Minnowleap purred, licking her son's head. "But can't you have enough fun _inside _the camp?"

"I suppose so," Cricketkit said slowly. "I promise I won't leave the camp until I'm an apprentice."

Minnowleap smiled and nudged Cricketkit with her nose. "Go back to the nursery and wait for me there. I'm going to grab some fresh kill." Cricketkit nodded, licked his mother's shoulder and bounded away, his small tail streaming out behind him.

Minnowleap watched her son go with a proud smile. And then with a small sigh she got up and joined Silverwhisp by the fresh kill pile.

Cricketkit settled down in his nest with a huff. Hailkit was no longer in the nursery, nor were Jaggedkit and Lark-kit, leaving Cricketkit all by himself. He was lonely and bored, his paws itching to play with something.

The lack of moss balls to play with in the den only made his boredom worse. And then he got an idea. Within moments the small kit had buried himself under the moss of his nest, only the very tip of his nose poking through the soft green moss. His pelt prickled under the moss as he waited for his target to slip back into the den.

He didn't have to wait long before the brambles rustled and Minnowleap slipped back into the den, a vole dangling from her mouth. Cricketkit waited patiently until Minnowleap was standing above him before he launched himself forwards with a small purr. He wrapped his paws around Minnowleap's foreleg and nipped playfully at her fur.

The silver she-cat glanced down at her leg with shock, only to purr when she saw her son wrapped around her leg. "What are you doing?" she asked after she had dropped the vole.

He stopped biting her leg to look up at her with bright, innocent eyes. "I was practicing being sneaky, Mama," Cricketkit answered. "Was I any good?"

Minnowleap smiled and freed her leg from Cricketkit's grasp. "Yes," she responded. "You were very good. You'll make a fine hunter someday!"

"And a fighter!" Cricketkit protested. "I'll be able to sneak up on the strongest cats! No warrior'll mess with ShadowClan then!" He batted the air with one paw and toppled backwards into the nest with a squeak of surprise.

Minnowleap laughed a soft gentle laugh. "Not with my brave little warrior around!" She stepped into the nest and licked his head. He stretched up and buried his muzzle into her fur-soft, sweet and smelling of milk and warmth. Minnowleap curled her body around Cricketkit, sweeping her tail around his small frame. "Got to sleep now, little one."

"I love you, Mama," Cricketkit purred sleepily.

As he drifted off to sleep he heard his Mother purr back a quiet answer. "I love you too."

**-000-**

His pale eyes opened up to a world of bright colours and wonderful smells. He purred happily as he bounded through the meadow, rolling around in the long grass as the bright sun caressed his fur with warm rays.

A bright blue butterfly flitted past, the sunlight bouncing off its iridescent wings in spectacular patterns. Cricketkit let out a squeal of delight as the butterfly landed on his nose. He batted at it with one paw and the butterfly opened its wings and flew off. Its bright wings called to Cricketkit and he gave up his game with the grass to chase the butterfly.

He giggled as he romped through the long grass, pouncing and diving after the butterfly.

And then the sky went dark and the butterfly fell to the ground, its wings limp and useless. Cricketkit pawed at the butterfly's body, confused as to why it had suddenly died. Cold wind whipped through the grass, chilling Cricketkit to the bone.

The grass in front of him parted and a monster prowled through it, malevolent yellow eyes piercing his very soul. Its jaws parted in a cruel smile, razor sharp teeth shining with saliva. All around him, more of these creatures stalked out of the grass, grinning at him with their cruel smiles.

The meadow dissolved into a black mass, the yellow eyes hanging in the sky above him, taunting him with their cruel gazes. Screams filled his ears and blood oozed from the yellow eyes.

Cricketkit cowered against the ground, wailing in fear as his wonderful dreamed shattered into a horrible nightmare.

Then it ended. And Cricketkit awoke to the sounds that had filled his nightmare. _But the nightmare ended! Those sounds should have stayed there!_

It wasn't until he noticed that Minnowleap was no longer in the nest that he began to worry. Screams filled the camp and Cricketkit scrambled out of his nest and crept to the entrance of the den, fear filling his limbs like water.

What he saw made his eyes go wide and his mouth run dry.

The monsters from his dream were battling with his Clan right outside his den.


	5. A Dark Turn

**A/N: Wildheart here, with a rather depressing chapter. For those of you who have read my 100 OneShot Challenge...well, you might have an idea :(**

**Song listened to while writing: To Die For (The Lion King)**

* * *

Cricketkit glanced around with horror at the shrieking, whirling chaos around him. The red monsters were roaring and snapping, yellow eyes aglow with malice. ShadowClan warriors ducked and weaved around the invaders, using teeth and claws to strike out. They were scattered out in small groups around the camp, mostly two or three warriors to each creature – he could count about five of the huge creatures in total. The air was filled with the angry screeches and the horrified yowls of his Clanmates… and a horrible, overwhelming scent that filled his mouth and nose with its stench, made every hair on his pelt stand on end and made his whole being quake with an instinctive fear that made him want to curl into a ball and wait for his mother to return to him, to assure him that everything would be all right and that this was just another bad dream.

His eyes widened in horror. Where was his mother?

He glanced wildly about the camp, looking for any sign of Minnowleap's pale silvery pelt among the fighting. Sandwiched between the warriors' den and the apprentices' den was a small cluster of fighters. He spotted Jaypaw among them; the young blue-gray tabby looked terrified as he fought besides his Clanmates. In the middle of the camp, Birdstar himself stood, a whirling mass of brown fur and flashing amber eyes as he took on one of the largest creatures in the camp. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't spot his mother in the chaos of the fight.

Wait—there! He thought he spotted a familiar trace of silver fur flashing between the snarling, twisting shapes. And there, across the camp, his mother battled. His pelt stood on end when he saw her there, rearing onto her hind legs to strike out at a red beast with her pale blue eyes blazing with rage.

But before he could even more, a pair of frightened green eyes blocked his path. "Stay inside, all of you!" Silverwisp commanded, shepherding him back inside. Cricketkit was suddenly aware of the sounds of terrified mewling and crying coming from behind him. As Birdstar's mate carried him into the back nest, he spotted his denmates huddled together and crying out in fear. Lark-kit and Hailkit had their eyes squeezed shut, and even grumpy old Jaggedkit was shaking pathetically with his amber eyes stretched wide.

Silverwisp settled Cricketkit down with the others, curling herself around the terrified young and pulling them together. "Shh," she said. "It's okay. It's okay."

"Where's my Mama?" Hailkit wailed.

"Streamsong's helping scare the mean foxes away," Silverwisp replied. She smiled at them. "It's all right, little ones," she soothed. "They're going to be okay. We're all going to be okay."

But Cricketkit looked past the gentle smile and saw his own fear reflected in her green eyes. The queen was just as terrified as any of them were.

He was aware of the others' pelts pressed up against his. Just behind him, up against his back, he could feel Jaggedkit's thick pelt pushed against him. The dark gray tabby tom was quivering in terror, his tremors reaching Cricketkit through his fur. And for once, he didn't mind the presence of the arrogant kit. They all comforted each other, pressing into each other's fur with tightly-shut eyes, waiting for the nightmare to end.

Without warning, the thorns around the nursery shuddered. Cricketkit stifled a squeak of fear, huddling into the other kits. A shadow loomed over his head; he bristled and glanced up in terror, but it was only Silverwisp crouching protectively over them with a look of determination on her face.

The walls shuddered again, and all four kits let out whimpers of fear. Just outside the nursery there was a terrible snarling sound. Red fur flashed through the thorns.

This time, Cricketkit could not contain his terror as claws tore at the barriers that kept them safe. "Mother!" he screamed, pressing himself as far away from the creature ripping into the nursery wall as he could. "Mother!"

It happened without conscious thought. One moment he was cowering miserably beneath Silverwisp's belly. And the next thing he knew, he was on his paws, rushing from the nest and hurling himself out of the nursery in an attempt to escape the monster tearing its way through the thorns to reach him. Terror overwhelmed what little reason he had left, spurring him on to escape the burning yellow eyes and the sharp, yellowed teeth. And so he ran, a wail of terror keening from his throat as he sprinted desperately away.

Then silver fur flashed before his eyes. Minnowleap was battling a red creature not far away, eyes ablaze as she faced it down fearlessly. Though her soft pelt was torn in places, she still managed to fight with pure ferocity in the name of her kits and Clan.

His mother gave warmth. His mother gave comfort.

So Cricketkit, acting on pure instinct, ran towards her.

"Mama!" he wailed. "_Mama!"_

Minnowleap's head snapped around instantly, her blue eyes stretched almost impossibly wide in pure horror and shock. "Cricketkit?" she whispered.

And then a pile of red fur blindsided her, knocking her to the ground with a bloodcurdling screech. Cricketkit watched helplessly as the monster tore into his mother with savage jaws. His mother twisted and screamed with rage, but the monster had done its work. Blood dripped from her fur as she kicked it weakly away, staining her pelt crimson as she gasped in pain.

And his mother turned back to him, her gaze lit from behind by a terrifying combination of pain, horror, and other emotions he could not name at the moment.

"Mama," he whimpered, pressing himself to the clearing floor. "You're hurt!"

She didn't respond. Instead she bent down, scooped him up, and streaked towards the nursery.

Uncontrollable fear blazed in his chest again. He didn't want to go back there! The monster was there! He wriggled slightly in her grip, trying to voice his terror. "Mama—"

And then, without warning, he was wrenched from her grasp. He hit the ground hard, rolling to a halt a few tail-lengths away with a moan of pain. He lifted his head weakly, trying to see what had become of his mother.

What he saw made his heart stop dead in his chest.

His mother was struggling weakly in the jaws of the biggest monster he had seen yet. Minnowleap squirmed, snarling savagely at the beast with utter terror in her eyes. But as weak as she was, she was no match for the monster. Pure hatred shone in its yellow gaze as it gripped Minnowleap. And then it shook its head savagely from side to side, a growl ripping from its throat as it did. His mother screeched in pain, her fear clear in her voice now.

And then, all of a sudden, her voice was cut off. The glow in her eyes was abruptly snuffed out. The monster threw Minnowleap aside with a snarl. And Cricketkit's mother thudded to the ground, remaining absolutely motionless. Her sides were stilled. No breath stirred her pelt. Her eyes, pale as the leaf-bare frost, were glazed and lifeless.

She was dead.

A wail of anguish ripped itself from Cricketkit's throat, and he charged forward to his mother's side. Her fur was sticky with red, and it was already starting to lose its warmth. But he buried his head in he fur anyways, sobs of grief sticking in his throat as he drank in what was left of her old scent. "Mother," he whimpered. "Mother, Mother, Mother…"

And that was when the wailing split the air.

Cricketkit's head whipped around to see the animal—the animal that had killed his mother, shoving its way into the nursery as Silverwisp fell to the ground, more red stuff leaking from her pelt. He could hear the unbearable snarling—along with the terrible, anguished wailing of his friends. And one single, recognizable voice shone above the din.

"Help us!" Lark-kit's voice screamed. "Please! Someone! Help us!"

He could picture them all huddled against the nursery wall—all three of his friends, wailing in fear as the beast reared above them all with slavering jaws…

It was as if some force had taken command of his body. It was the only way he could explain what he did, because no cat in their right minds would have done it.

Because in the next moment, he was barreling across the camp, diving into the nursery, and sinking his fangs deep into the thing's leg.

A horrible, guttural roar of pain split the air like thunder. The noise made him open his eyes for a brief moment—just in time to see a face, yellow eyes blazing with rage, bearing down on him.

And then everything was pain.

A terrible screaming sound rent the air—a sound he thought might have come from his own throat—as pure anguish nearly tore him in two. In the next moment something hot and red and sticky was cascading into his eyes, painting the whole world with red and fire and _pain_.

He suddenly felt the sensation of air rushing past his fur. And in the next moment he hit the forest floor, pain searing up and down his fragile body as he gasped for air.

Blindly, he began to crawl. He didn't care where he was going, so long as it took him away from the screaming and the yelling and the _pain_.

His head bumped against something soft—he could barely see anything, between his fractured vision and the agony tearing his mind apart. But as he struggled to bring air into his lungs, he thought he could smell the faintest, lingering scent of milk and warmth.

"Mother," he croaked out weakly.

And then blackness washed over his vision and he knew no more.

* * *

The battle with the foxes had cost them much.

Warriors lay strewn across the clearing, simply trying to recover their strength after the brutal assault. All were injured; many were panting where they stood, limbs quaking as they struggled to remain conscious. Here and there lay the body of a fox that had suffered the wrath of ShadowClan. Here and there lay an ominous, limp pile of fur that barely drew breath—or didn't draw breath at all.

The only thing that broke the silence of the camp was a single, tormented wailing. Birdstar, covered in the marks of the invaders, was hunched over a battered body that lay near the ruined entrance to the nursery. Silverwisp had died during the fight, valiantly protecting the kits she loved so much.

"No!" Birdstar howled. "No! No! _No!"_

Hazelwing limped her way through the camp, healing herbs borne in her jaws as she picked her way through the aftermath of the battle. Here and there she stopped to tend a wounded warrior, ignoring their insistence that she move on and treat one more gravely injured. All of them were too gravely injured to ignore, so she treated them all as best she could before moving on to the next cat.

As she stepped forward to treat Jaypaw, she stopped in her tracks. Lying on the camp floor a few tail-lengths away was Minnowleap. A hollow pang twisted the medicine cat's chest. The silver queen had been a kind cat, and a loving mother. She sighed mournfully. How many other kits would be orphaned today?

That was when she saw it.

There, curled half-under Minnowleap's body, was a tiny, still form that bore a haunting resemblance to the queen he was pressed against.

Cricketkit.

A heartbroken cry wrenched itself from Hazelwing's jaws. She rushed to his side in an instant, gently nosing past Minnowleap and cradling the fallen kit in her paws.

_Oh, StarClan,_ she thought in anguish at seeing the kit's unmoving form. _How could you take all these cats away from us so soon? Cricketkit had his whole life ahead of him…_

She moved to lift him gently, to move him into the center of the camp. And as she did, the tiniest of sounds squeaked in his throat.

Hazelwing froze solid. The kit she had thought dead only heartbeats before was breathing. It was shallow and ragged, but there was breath in his chest.

Cricketkit was still alive.

"Birdstar!" she yowled, lifting the gravely-wounded kit as gently as she could. "Birdstar!"

The tabby leader barely stirred as Hazelwing approached. His amber eyes were dull with grief, his nose pressed into his dead mate's fur. He lifted his head slightly as she darted over, Cricketkit swinging from her jaws. "Birdstar, Cricketkit is still alive!"

The massive tom suddenly stiffened. "What?" he whispered hoarsely. "He…he wasn't in the nursery."

He turned his head to stare at the limp form that hung delicately from the medicine cat's jaws. "He should have been the nursery," he muttered, his gaze unfocused.

"I found him near Minnowleap," she said gravely. "I don't know how he got out there in this state, let alone how he got in this state at all…"

"Silverwisp…dead…"

Without warning, a shadow passed across Birdstar's face as he stared at the kit. Hazelwing took a surprised step backwards. For a brief moment, there was a stranger looking out of her leader's amber eyes.

Then Birdstar turned his back to Hazelwing. "Take him to the medicine den," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Get him out of here."

Shock flashed through Hazelwing's mind at Birdstar's behavior, but she didn't have time for that now. She turned and raced across the camp, Cricketkit hanging from her jaws. She pushed her way into her den and set the kit down as gently as she could, pulling moss in around him. And then she turned back to her stores, pulling herbs from their places in a frenzied rush to save the kit's life.

_Oh, StarClan above,_ she prayed. _Don't let it be too late!_

* * *

**…And now we see just how fast things have changed for poor Cricketkit :(**Clan right outside his den.


End file.
